Devvista is a software development and growth agency whose clients in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the UAE hire dedicated offshore developers and remote teams from us. Engagement is hourly, as a team, or for a fixed-price build.
Offshore development means a team in another country works on your product remotely, usually at lower rates than a local hire. Devvista's team is based in Pakistan and works with clients in five markets. Below: how it works, how to compare it with onshore hiring, the risks to manage, the cost and how to check a team.
What our offshore developers build
A dedicated offshore team
Developers, a tester and a lead assigned to your product, working your hours overlap and reporting progress on a shared board.
Single developers added to your team
One engineer who joins your stand-ups and repository, billed by the hour. Our staff augmentation guide explains the model.
Fixed-price offshore projects
A defined build with a written scope and a price, delivered by our team while you review at set milestones.
Ongoing product maintenance
Bug fixes and small features on a live product, with a named person who knows the code.
Offshore teams for agencies
Development capacity for agencies that need to deliver client work under their own name. Our white-label development service covers that model.
Offshore, onshore or nearshore: what actually differs
The words describe where the team sits, and the practical differences are cost, hours and control. The table sets out the trade-offs without picking a side.
| Point | Offshore | Onshore | Nearshore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the team sits | A distant country and time zone | Your own country | A nearby country and similar hours |
| Typical cost | Lower hourly rates | Highest hourly rates | In between |
| Working hours with you | Agreed overlap windows | Full overlap | Mostly overlapping |
| Main risk | Communication gaps if not managed | Cost and hiring speed | Narrower talent pool |
| Best for | Defined work and steady teams | Work needing on-site presence | Teams wanting real-time contact |
Our offshore versus onshore comparison and our offshore team benefits guide go deeper on both sides.
Offshore risks and how each is managed
Offshore projects fail for known reasons. The table pairs each risk with the habit that controls it, which is also what to ask any provider.
| Risk | How it shows up | How we manage it | Ask any provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication gaps | Questions sit unanswered for a day | Agreed overlap hours and a named lead | Which hours will overlap with mine? |
| Unclear requirements | Work is built to a wrong guess | Written specs and sign-off before building | How do you confirm requirements? |
| Quality drift | Bugs rise as deadlines near | Reviews, tests and demos at milestones | What tests will I receive? |
| Dependence on one person | Work stops if they leave | Two people who know each part | Who covers if a developer leaves? |
| Locked-in code | You cannot move away | Code and accounts in your name | Who owns the repository and hosting? |
None of these are unique to offshore work, but they matter more when the team is far away and cannot be reached down the corridor.
What it costs and how you can hire
For offshore developers, pricing is either fixed, from $500 to $100,000 by complexity, or hourly at $10 to $100 by developer type and level. We state the price before work starts, in US dollars.
| Model | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated offshore developer by the hour | Keeping a steady offshore team on a live product | By developer level |
| Small offshore team | A product that needs developers, a tester and a lead working together offshore | Hourly, per person |
| Fixed-price build | A defined build with a written scope | By complexity |
| Scoping first | You are deciding between offshore, onshore and nearshore and need a plan and a cost view | A short engagement that ends in a written spec |
Illustration (an estimate, not a quote): a dedicated offshore team of one lead developer, two developers and a tester for three months on a SaaS product, at the illustrative rate, at an assumed $40 an hour:
| Work | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lead developer, about 480 hours | 480 |
| Developer one, about 480 hours | 480 |
| Developer two, about 480 hours | 480 |
| Tester, about 240 hours | 240 |
| Setup, access and onboarding | 24 |
| Total | 1704 hours, about $68,160 at $40 an hour |
A smaller team falls below that, and a larger one rises above. Send your product description and we will price your own.
Which offshore developer profile you need
An offshore team is a mix of roles, so decide which of them you already have in-house.
| Profile | What they do | Ask to see |
|---|---|---|
| Offshore developer | Builds features to a spec | Code samples and a trial task |
| Offshore team lead | Plans work, reviews code and reports to you | A sprint plan and a weekly report |
| Offshore tester | Tests builds and writes test plans | A test plan and bugs found |
| Project manager | Keeps scope, dates and communication on track | A status report and a risk list |
Common situations and what to hire
Offshore teams suit particular situations.
| Your situation | What to hire | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A startup with a defined product and a limited budget | A dedicated offshore team on an hourly or fixed plan | Specs and milestone demos keep distance manageable |
| An in-house team that needs extra capacity | One or two offshore developers added to your team | They join your tools and stand-ups |
| An agency needing delivery capacity | A white-label offshore team | Work is delivered under your name with your standards |
What the first month of a offshore hire looks like
- Week one: access, tools and a written scope, plus agreed overlap hours.
- Week two: the first tasks delivered and reviewed, to calibrate quality and pace.
- Week three: the routine settles, with a weekly report and a demo.
- Week four: a retrospective on communication and quality, and a plan for the next month.
How to check any offshore developer before you hire
Before you sign, get written answers to the following. Developers who have done the work answer quickly and specifically.
- Which hours will overlap with my working day, and how are urgent issues handled?
- Who is my single point of contact, and who covers when they are away?
- How do you confirm requirements before building?
- What tests, reviews and demos will I receive, and when?
- How do you handle a developer leaving mid-project?
- Who owns the code, the repository and the hosting accounts at the end?
- Ask for a small paid trial task before you commit: a two-week paid trial on a small, real piece of work, with a demo at the end and a retrospective on how communication went.
If a quote arrives before anyone has asked about your systems, the quote is a guess.
Mistakes to avoid when hiring offshore developers
Offshore projects go wrong in repeatable ways.
- Choosing on the lowest rate and ignoring who manages the work.
- Skipping a written specification, then arguing about what was agreed.
- Having no overlap hours, so every question costs a day.
- Leaving the repository and accounts in the provider's name.
Hiring from the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the UAE
Devvista works remotely with clients in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the UAE and has no office in any of them. Hours that overlap your working day are agreed before the start.
Who this is for, and who it is not
| A good fit | Not a fit |
|---|---|
| A business with defined work that can be briefed in writing and reviewed at milestones | A project that needs developers physically in your office |
| A team adding steady offshore capacity | A plan with no owner on your side for decisions |
| Owners who agree overlap hours and sign off a written scope | A request to go cheapest with no management |